Birchbox - January 2014

Birchbox Website

So Christmas is over and a new year begins. So with a new year comes New Years resolutions, plus detoxing from the over indulgence. So with lemons on the box, a favourite for detoxing lemon water this box is titled " Tiny tweaks". 

So the contents of the Box ; 

- Tommyguns : Fig, plum and marshamallow conditioner ( Rrp £5.50) 

- Benefit : Porefessional ( £24.50 Rrp)

- Noble Isle : Willow song bath & shower gel ( £20.00 Rrp) 

- Vasanti : Detox facial cleanser (£18.00 Rrp) 

- Premae : Nutrient body Oil ( £9.50 Rrp)

Extra : Miso Soup (£2.25 for 3 sachets) 

Now I won't lie I was disappointed with not having a Rodial sample to trial. My online surveys had said I was to receive the Rodial SPF, but then upon dispatch this had been changed with the Nobel Isle shower gel. So not impressed that I had my sample removed and changed. I've tried Noble isle before and honestly it's not something that amazed me. 

Benefit porefessional is a cult classic and honestly it's a great sample to have for travel. I like that benefit has joined birchbox and I'm hoping more brands take suit. I would love more Benefit samples for future boxes. Sadly no makeup to trial with the sample.

Vasanti Detox cleanser is a new brand to me and I will be interested to see how this works for my skin. As it says it will remove all traces of makeup. I use a clarisonic and I do have the odd trace left. So will be interesting to see if this does remove everything. 

Tommyguns Conditioner sounds amazingly yummy. I was glad I recieved this instead of the phillip Kingsley sample.  I love these scents and it's a massive sample being 250mls, so I'm interested to see how this conditions my hair. Being £5.50 it's expensive for conditioner but lovely for a treat.

Noble Isle Shower gel like I said is a sample I have tried before, so I'm really not too excited by this. I didn't really like the scent and passed this on when i recieved this before. I think it will have the same fate. I'm gutted this was not the Rodial as promised. 

Miso Soup (Extra) is something I can't use as I'm on a diet controlled plan for my health. I know miso is supposed to be great for diets but it's not something I can add to mine. I will happily pass this on to my vegan family member whom loves soup and light foods. Nothing going to waste. 

Premae Nourishing Oil sounds amazing and so great for my dry skin at the moment. I do love oils and as long as there is no hint of rose, then I'm sure it will be fantastic. I really love hair oils as they add something exotic and luxiourious to your routine. I'm glad of the  spritz bottle as I think it will disperse easier. 

So overall it's a lovely box and has some amazing samples. However I think everyone should have had the opportunity for a high end Rodial sample. There was 3 options and I was to receive the SPF sample, which I was so thrilled with. However the next day on dispatch, this had changed so i was very disappointed. It's not something I can get a chance to try, as I'm not able to go to a store to pick one up. So this was my only complaint with Birchbox this month. 

Benefit - Porefessional

Benefit is a company well known by all and I have a few products by them I have tried and loved. I then was given some samples of the Porefessional to try and see if I found it to be to my liking.

They say

POREfessional is the UK's best-selling primer*

Quickly minimise the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! Apply this silky, lightweight balm alone, under or over makeup. Translucent, oil-free formula complements all skintones and helps makeup stay put. Contains a Vitamin E derivative, known to protect skin from free radicals.

I don't have a problem with my pores usually but some days I can have them visible on the bridge of my nose and cheeks at times. So I used a dot to gently tap like I would a concealer to fill the pores. The porefessional is a beige cream which is a little tacky to the touch but then dries quickly before I apply my primer and foundation on top.

I like this product but find my use would be for a more primer based product and this little tube will do me well for the times I notice my pores. I may repurchase this for winter as I do notice my pores more then. So I can say this is good but apply with light taps and not get the urge to over load the skin like a primer as its not for that purpose. So if you do suffer from pores you worry about then this is a good product and also blends in to the skin. As this would be darker shade then I would buy if it was a foundation, so worry not that it looks to be dark for your complexion.  As this when tapped into the pores blends to not be noticed.  

I know my old age means my pores and lines are getting more obvious so my need for this sort of product may increase. I will purchase a backup come winter if my little samples do not give me enough to see me through.  As its a handy product to own, in case you need it on a day your pores do not behave as my skin often does. 

Do you use Porefessional ? What do you think ? Is the full size a good investment ?

Benefit - New Stay Flawless 15hr Primer

Now it seems I've had a few benefit items this month and that's the beauty of blog sales. So I bought this with the Oxygen foundation and they were barely used. 

They say 

Flawless works overtime! Our instant PRO-long primer acts like a magnet to lock on your foundation for 15 fresh & flawless hours. This invisible stick primer glides directly onto skin for optimal wear and a natural-looking finish. Go longer. Stay flawless!

94% said it helps foundation last longer

97% saw an improvement in the look of skin/complexion

94% said it increased foundation coverage

97% said it enhanced foundation’s performance

So I've heard so many mixed reviews on this item, it really is something I would encourage you visit a store have trial of or require a sample and then decide.  It reminded me of a prit stick and honestly I watched every video on how to apply, tried my numerous foundations etc and it always ended up the same.  Just streaks of thick glue stick texture and felt like I was giving my face a latex layer. It didn't blend with any foundation like it should have and I used my fingers as I thought maybe the warmth will disperse the product. Making it easier to blend together and apply. However this was not to be and it was just streaky and didn't blend plus then when I wanted to set my foundation I use a press puff as I didn't want to ruin a good brush. The powder then ended up uneven and and more heavy in the areas that had the streaks of Primer. 

I did not understand why it's so hard and it drags on the skin and gives no way to manoeuvre your foundation. I really think if this formula was more of a cream or gel based primer then it would sit and blend better. It seems very gimmicky and I'm all for innovation but this is a expensive product being marketed.  I passed this onto my sister to use on her holiday and I want to see what she thinks of this works on her skin as she is a normal/oily combo where as I'm a normal/dry so I think the dragging and dry formula did not help my skin.

So il additionally add her comments to this blog when she returns.

What's your impression been of the new Benefit Primer ? 

Benefit - Rockateur box blush

Now this may come as a surprise but this is my first box blush from benefit. It is not on sale as yet but was a one day sale for those whom could not wait and then again, in debenhams on a 3 day event. It's on general release in September. 

They say 

Pick up the beat with a rush of heat! This rockin’ rose gold cheek powder gives a famously provocative flush that turns heads on-stage and off. The crowd will go wild for its sexy faceted design, accented in luxe gold. For an encore, the custom angled, dimensional brush gives rich, show-stopping payoff every time.

It was kindly picked up for me by a lovely friend as I could not attend the events selling them. I'm so grateful to her for this lovely gift. As its truly a beautiful box blush.  I've not had any experience of the boxed products from benefit and this does make me wish to try more. As the pigment and softness of this powder is beautiful. I do not like the miniature brush and prefer to use a small contour brush, this way I can really get a good distribution of all the colours within. 

The swatch shows how beautiful they are when they are blended together. They blend lovely on the skin and only a little is needed as this is a pigmented blush. It's not a powdery or cakey powder and gives a beautiful sheen and finish to my skin. It's beautiful rosé gold tones with shimmer on the top this is just a light spray. However this does not take from the colour or intensity. It can be used as a duel blush bronze rather then the need for two separate products. 

I'm really enjoying this and cannot wait for it to be on sale for everyone in September. It in my opinion will complement a lot of skin tones as a blush or a light highlight to give a matte blush some depth. I have put a chart below to show the box blush and where this new addition sits in pigment and colour. 

As you can see the colour is really pigmented and the rose gold colour complements the skin. It blends so easily  and I hardly needed to blend this blush. 

It makes you have a healthy glow and can be added too if you wish a deeper shade or tone from this box blush.

I'm so glad my friend kindly picked this up and I can't thank her enough as its a new favourite in my small but growing benefit collection.

Latest in Beauty - Glamour box

So its been a while since I have purchased a latest in beauty box, simply because I own alot of samples and enjoy these products. However as any beauty lover and blogger will tell you, we need a break to sort our product boxes , gift them to family or help send each other "parcels of love as I call them"

This box was a collaboration with Glamour magazine's beauty director, Alessandra Stienherr and from first glance we were all wow that has a lot in it, that i personally wanted to try as have never had the funds nor can get to the store to sample. It was a lovely gift to whom i will say a massive thanks too always for being by my side. 

So the box is a black sleek and the products inside have tissue paper wrapping with a Glamour sticker

Box contents -

L'oreal super liner Gel in Golden Black 

Batiste Dry shampoo in Original

Benefit's Porefessional 

Ginvera green tea - Marvel gel 

Revlon - Nail polish

Jinnylash strip eyelashes 

John frieda -Frizz ease Original formula

The vintage cosmetic company - Tweezers 

Stila - Lipglase

So as you can see the samples are of a quality size to get a good indication if the product is for you and choose to repurchase.  I would have preferred maybe a summer scent batiste to really make the box have something jazzy, but the original is fine and most people either like floral or fruit scents. So i can see they catered for everyone. 

Now I'm going to be doing individual reviews on some of these products and the L'oreal gel liner has been in my look-books as my staple eyeliner. However i do feel they need to change the brush to suit a beginner to liner application. So il go through the products I've used and give a idea of what i think personally.

L'oreal gel liner - Its defiantly my top eyeliner of choice, as i really like that its not dried out and gives a  dark black colour payoff, plus sets very quickly so there is little chance of transfer (Im using my black one before i open this as i don't like to waste good products). I personally like the brush but I've been using eyeliner for over 12 years, so for a beginner this may be not the correct choice and a stiffer angled brush would have been a better option. 

Batiste Dry shampoo - This is a godsend and i did the buzz trial when it was first released. I have 2 travel cans always on standby for hospital bags and a main bigger can in Tropical on my dresser. It adds volume to teased hair, takes away the greasy feel if you haven't had the time to wash your hair fully. Believe me when i say that constant hair washing is not good for the hair as it strips it of the natural oils, so this is meant for those days where you want some bounce and freshness back. 

Jinnylash strip eyelashes - Now these are a pain and I've given up on them as the band was so thin and fiddly the time taken i could have applied my Kiss eyelashes and be away. The glue comes in a tube which baffles me as if you press to hard its like toothpaste and a big blob comes out. I do want to find some lovely lashes and eyelash glue. For now i will continue on with my Kiss and value Primark ones. I also have some Ardell which are fabulous to use and i keep them for looks as they have diamontes on them.

John frieda frizz ease - My goodness this was all i used growing up being of thick and curly hair category. I haven't used it in such a long time as I've had hair oils in beauty boxes which I've loved and used so had no need to purchase. However this serum is amazing and I'm so glad to have a sample back in my drawer again to use. I would love to see how this compares to the Richard ward bottle i have.

The vintage collection tweezers - Come in a lovely packet and also band to pace on the top so they don't loose there grip and spring. I loved using these to do my brows the other day and they really do get them pesky ones that seem to be in odd angles. 

The only products I'm yet to try are the Porefessional, Stila in this colour ( i have others and like them, but wish to use them before i open this.) The Ginvera i haven't tried but i know of from other beauty boxes in the past, i wish to save this as its a great travel size for my hospital bag in maintaining my skin.  The revlon nail polish is a lovely coral colour i will be using, I've heard that it is really long wearing and doesn't chip easily plus drys quick. Brilliant as i hate having to wait for pain to dry. 

So again another fabulous box from Latest in beauty, there collaboration with The beauty bible was stunning and this offered just as much value plus quality in the thought behind being a cohesive well thought of box. It seemed to have a product for each area you would want a product to try. Plus not bombarded with skincare, as most beauty boxes are. I crave makeup boxes which is why i un-subscribed from most of the mainstream ones on the market and will gladly purchase boxes like this. 

I have just signed up to one with a fantastic concept and you will find out more about this soon. 

Did you purchase the Latest in beauty box in collaboration with Glamour ?

Benefit - Fake up

So a busy year for benefit is 2013 with already the release of "fine one one" only a month or so ago, now they spark our taste buds again with a release of Fake-up. 

An all in one Hydrating formula and concealer , It claims to be able to conceal fine lines as-well as hydrate all those problem areas you may have, to me this is a "finally" moment. I personally (as you will see in another post) suffer from dry areas under my eyes and the sides of my nose. So to have something that will conceal and hydrate is like heaven to me and my skin is probably doing a little happy dance. 

Now it comes in 3 shades 01- Light , 02 - Medium , 03 - Deep

So when i saw it go on sale on monday i was quick to snap it up

Benefit - Fake up 

I really love the innovative workings of this product and think its genius that it has the balm layer to help the skin and its what you wish for in all your makeup, the benefit packaging is becoming very pretty with the silver casing and again twist up mechanism. Even the outer packet with the swirls is just screaming "I'm a well thought out product" and i think with the younger influence of the co-founders nieces on board this is now shining through.

Now I've seen the other Blogger events that went on last week and the really clever promotions and adverts that benefit have been coming up with lately. Its nice to see something different and jazzy to add a bit of special-ness to a product, now i realise the products all good and well being packaged and presented. It has to perform so lets get into the fine details.

Benefits Fake up - Concealer with Hydrating ring of Vit E and apple extract

So Fake up as you can see below is a stick concealer but its been surrounded by a layer of balm which contains the hydrating properties including Vitamin E, apple seed extract. Now this to me as a dry skin to normal type is perfect. I ache for added hydration products and to have this hydrate for up to 6 hours without a need to touch up till then is just brilliant, I applied it and the balm is not oily after you tap it into your skin, I tap with my finger a concealer into my areas as you shouldn't i find rub a dry patch as the flakes or sides will irritate and ruin your hard work of concealing. The one thing i will do next time though is maybe apply this after ive done my primer and cover what i can see, as to get the full worth of the products hydrating properties. As i think putting it on a layer of foundation would defeat the purpose, as i want the balm to be on my skin and not barred from that by having the foundation in-between. So i will use this as a base concealer and then if i need more coverage after I've completed everything i will touch it up. This concealer wont cake if you want to build it up.

Benefit Fake up - Swatch 

 So all in all im really impressed, the Fake up hydrating concealer is something i will actively use daily as to offer my skin that extra hydration, which will hopefully help with fine lines not only in the short term but in general. It blends in really easy too, the balm also doesn't leave a sticky or tackiness behind when its been applied. It seems to lightly absorb into the skin. Smells of nothing and just a concealer smell you get. 

So from the picture below you can see it has concealed the second half of my eye where the bags i will admit are very bad and it does illuminate the eye socket, plus the area around my nose is defiantly less red and covered. So first impressions are really good and will be doing more picture reviews this week so you will see more use of this product in them. 

Have you tried Benefits Fake up ? What do you think of the product ?